The Tasteful Way To Wear A 13 Reasons Why Halloween Costume

Elena NicolaouOct 23, 2017 5:55 PM

We've already written about why you shouldn't be Hannah Baker for Halloween. It's obvious, really, but it bears repeating: Do not be Hannah Baker from 13 Reasons Why for your Halloween costume. There's not really a way to make that costume tasteful.

But hey, there's no denying that13 Reasons Why was a viral sensation this year. If you're tired of witch and vampire costumes and want to capture the pop cultural zeitgeist, it makes sense why you'd be compelled to be a character from this Netflix show. We are here to shepherd you through the steps of doing it the right way. The goal is to pay homage to the show, not to make a spectacle of its darker themes.

Look no further for 13 Reasons Why costumes that are respectful and instantly recognizable.

Their admirably accurate punk rocker get-ups win Justin and Jessica their school's Halloween costume competition. But the costume is actually pretty morbid. Nancy Spungen was stabbed to death, and the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose while awaiting trial for her murder. Still, you can unleash your inner punk rocker by wearing leather jackets, black jeans or a leather miniskirt, and Sid and Nancy wigs.

Courtney's Katy Perry costume

Courtney, played by Michele Selene Ang, brings her A-game to the high school costume contest. She dresses as Katy Perry at her most pink and colorful. First, make sure you have pink wig (or you can temporarily dye your hair). Then, find a tulle miniskirt. Finally, you can decorate a white, corset-like top with pom-poms and embellishments, like she does.

The 13 Reasons Why book cover

For YA fans, the 13 Reasons Why book cover is just as famous as the images from the Netflix show. The girl on the cover wears a pink beanie, pink jacket, and lace-up heels.

Clay and his tape

Clay wears the prototypical outfit of a high school boy in America: a t-shirt over a long-sleeved shirt (both in shades of gray, of course) with a gray backpack. He is often seen looking furtively at the tapes delivered to his doorstep.

Clay and his movie theater uniform

In what quaint small town do high school movie theater employees wear these old-timey outfits? In this one, I guess. Clay wears a red vest, white t-shirt, and a bow tie. To distinguish your costume from the dozens of other movie theater employee costumes (hah), tape a piece of paper to your shirt that says, "Trainee."

The Liberty High School tiger

In terms of providing comedic relief, the unsung hero of 13 Reasons Why is the school mascot, who wears a Hawaiian shirt atop a tiger costume for the Halloween party. If you can't tell already, the ingredients for this costume are very easy to pull together, even if you don't have them in your closet quite yet. All you need is a tiger costume, and a Hawaiian shirt.

Tony Padilla

Tony may dress like a bad boy James Dean, but he has a heart of gold. For the costume, slick your hair back. Wear a leather jacket and a white t-shirt. Ideally, you could get a red car to drive around in. If not, just look like you're watching over the world with eyes that have seen too much.

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